It had been raining for several days and the little field mice were getting bored. They could not find anything exciting to do. It was especially hard for Sed and Ned who loved to play together out in the meadow. Of course, they were always on the alert for the big black cat. But with the rain, they didn't have to worry about him. The rain stopped enough for the two little brothers to go out and play. They remembered to put on their rain gear. The last words of their mother was, "NOT to PLAY in the storm drains, because they could be very dangerous after rain.
The two little mice were so happy to be outside again. But it wasn't long before it started to rain again. As it started to come down harder and harder, Sed and Ned forget what their mother told them and ran for cover in a storm drain. Suddenly, a huge rush of water picked up the two little mice, tossing and banging their little bodies from side to side. Finally, they they were able to grab hold of a piece of tile floating by. They both were able to crawl up onto the tile and float the rest of the way out of the drain,
Waiting for them at the end of the drain was a pack of SEWER RATS! After a storm , it was always a good place for sewer rats to wait to see if they could capture some mice as slaves. Sed and Ned great grand father had been enslaved for many years, until his father made a heroic attempt and rescued him. At first the rats didn't see the boys hiding in the bushes.
The mice were shaking so hard with fear. They thought for sure they would be captured and become rat slaves.
"Sed, we have got to do something quickly, brother, or we will be captured and slaves for life!" cried Ned.
"What do you think we should do? You are the oldest." said Sed confidently
"We'll, have to move fast. When I say run, we will ran as fast as we can to our hideout in the old oak tree. If we can get there, the rats will not be able to fit through the hole and we can wait for help".
"That sounds great Ned, but what if we don't make it? ?"
"We have got to make it Sed. Just be ready to run......NOW!"
Just as soon as Ned said NOW, the two mice ran out from under the bush and headed for their hideout. The sewer rats saw Sed and Ned running across the meadow and hurried into their hideout. The rats caught up and started to surround the tree. The boys were so exhausted and out of breath.
"Phew! Ned, we made it! That was a wild run. I don't want to run like that again, but what are we going to do now brother? "
" I don't know, but we will think of something " We better wait here until morning to make sure all the rats have left."
Meanwhile, it was getting dark and their parents were very concerned. They decided to call Murky the mole to see if he knew anything about the boys. Fortunately, just that afternoon, Sed and Ned had asked him to make a separate hole out of their hideout in case of emergency. Murky wasn't able to finish to hole that day, so he told their parents that he would take a run out to the hideout and see if they were there.
Murky didn't have any problem getting to the old oak tree. Most of the hole was already dug. All he had to do was to connect it to the hideout. Inside the hideout Sed and Ned were getting tired and started to fall asleep.
"Ned, anxiously asked Sed, "Do you hear that noise? I hope it isn't the rats?"
"Sed, don't worry about the rats. They don't know how to dig." exclaimed Ned .Suddenly The boys saw dirt separating under their feet.
"It's Murky, he has come to rescue us!" The two little mice excitedly exclaimed as they started to dance around the room.. Up popped Murky's head. "Hi fellers. Are you all right?
The boys explained to Murky their afternoon ordeal and didn't waste any time escaping through the tunnel.
The sewer rats never knew what happened to the mice. They gave up waiting for them to come out and went home. Sed and Ned were happy to be safely back home, but they had a lot of explaining to do with their parents. For the next week, they were not allowed to play in their hideout, until they learned to listen and obey. Murky was the hero and from that day on, there was a permanent escape from their hideout, across the meadow into their back yard.
It was late in the afternoon and Jennifer's mother was getting ready to bake some cookies for the evening meal. Jennifer loved to help her mother, even though she always made a big mess. Her mother didn't mind as along she helped clean it up. Pulling a chair over beside her mother, Jennifer climbed up with her wooden spoon ready to mix the batter. Her mother was always happy to have Jennifer's company, mess and all.
Mint chocolate chip cookies were on the menu. Jennifer's job was to stir the cookie dough and to put the chips in the dough. But somehow, her little fingers had a hard time staying out of the cookie dough.
"Jennifer", her mother said.' get your fingers out of the cookie dough. You have germs on them. Now go to the bathroom and wash your hands. You know that all good cooks always wash their hands before they cook and keep their fingers out of the food," explained mother.
Jennifer really did know better but cookie dough with mint chocolate chips with just too much of a temptation. When she returned from washing her hands, she helped her mother put the drops of dough on the cookie tray ready for the oven . She couldn't wait for them to finish baking. Her mother told her that she was not to eat any before dinner , because it would ruin her appetite. Jennifer didn't understand why one cookie would spoil her dinner. It didn't make any sense to her.
When the cookies came out of oven, they were put on a rack to cool. The aroma was too much of a temptation for Jennifer. As soon as her mother left to go out into the garden to gather some veggies for a salad for dinner, Jennifer could not resist another minute. She climbed up unto the counter and wrapped two cookies in a napkin. She then jumped down and ran off upstairs into her room. She put one cookie under her pillow and ate the other hiding in her closet.
But after she ate the cookie, she didn't feel very good and it wasn't her stomach! Something was wrong. Somehow that cookie didn't taste very good.
When Jennifer's mother came in from the garden, she noticed that two cookies were missing from the rack. "Oh no,' thought mother.'I hope Jennifer didn't take two cookies when I told her to wait?" Her mother's heart was broken. Her little girl had disobeyed. The last thing she wanted to do was to discipline her, but she knew she had no choice.
No sooner had she had that thought, when Jennifer came down stairs with a cookie wrapped up in a napkin. "Mommy,' said Jennifer handing her the wrapped up cookie. "I don't feel so good. I took two cookies, ate one and hid the other under my pillow. I need to put this one back."
Mommy took the cookie from Jennifer and said, "Jennifer, I was very disappointed when I saw that two cookies were missing after I told you not to to eat any before dinner."
"I know mommy, I disobeyed you and I stole two cookies, but I am so sorry. As soon as I ate the cookie, I knew something was wrong.
I didn't feel right. I keep hearing a voice in my head saying, 'eat the cookies, your mother will never know'. But, I knew that it was the devil tempting me. I remembered what you told me, "When you know what is the right thing to do and you don't do it, it is sin and you will not feel good.' I felt awful mommy and even the cookie didn't taste good. Will you please forgive me?"
"Jennifer, you did the right thing. God gave us a conscience to help us to do what is right. I am very happy that you listened to your conscience and said no to the devil. Stealing is wrong and you will never feel good when you steal or when you disobey your parents. It is God's way to keep you safe in a world that is so full of evil."
Mommy and Jennifer hugged. It felt so good to be forgiven. Because Jennifer had confessed to her mother her sin, her mother chose to show her God's grace and did not discipline her that night. Jennifer learned the importance of telling the truth . From that day on, she had learned how important it was to listen to her conscience and do what was right.
Chapter 7
Jennifer's Mom Mom and Pop Pop lived on two hundred acre farm, across the railroad tracks, at the other end of town. Pop Pop had many animals to care for. There were cows, sheep, chickens three pigs and especially, Betsy and Chubby, the two work horses. They helped Pop Pop to plow the fields in the Spring, gather the hay in the summer and pull the wagon of turnips in the Fall. Pop Pop did not have a tractor for a long time. He didn't need one as long as Betsy and Chubby worked as a team. They could pull as much weight as a small tractor could.
One day when George and Jennifer were down at the farm, George got an idea. "Hey, Jennifer, let's take Betsy and Chubby out for a ride to the back pasture? I don't think your Pop Pop will mind do you?"
"I don't think so George, but we better ask first. What if Pop Pop needs them for some work today?" suggested Jennifer.
"I don't think he will need them today, Jennifer. He is picking apples in the orchard and the horses are loose in the barn yard."
George convinced Jennifer that it would be all right. So the children made saddles out of grain bags, stuffing them with hay, threw them on the back of the two horses, and rode off to the back pasture.
"Isn't this the greatest fun Jennifer? The saddle isn't that comfortable, but it is better than nothing. How is Betsy doing? Chubby is so slow," said George.
"Betsy is great! No problem. I can handle her. She is very gentle, George."
What the two children did not know was that just that morning, Pop Pop had let out Goliath to gaze in the back pasture. Goliath was a mean, ugly bull, that Pop Pop had agreed to keep on the farm for a short time. At first the children did not see Goliath gazing, but the two horses did. Betsy and Chubby did not like Goliath. They were afraid.of him. The horses were determined to go back to the barn, but the children were just as determined to stay! The horses started to go around and around in circles. Just than Jennifer saw Goliath up on the hill.
"Oh no, George. It is Goliath. He sees us. We better get out of here".
So the two children let Chubby and Betsy have their reins and headed back for the barn. As the horses started to run back home, Jennifer lost control of Betsy and fell off landing on her right arm on the ground. Betsy kept racing for the barn and left Jennifer crying.
George was almost back to the barn when he noticed Jennifer wasn't on Betsy back! Where was Jennifer? George knew he could not get Chubby to go out there again, so he grabbed his bicycle and heading out to the pasture. Jennifer was able to to crawl her way back to the gate, open it and lock it behind her before Goliath saw her. When George found her she was exhausted , with tears running down her face. She was in a great deal of pain.
"Oh George, I am so glad to see you, I think I broke my arm." cried Jennifer through her tears.
"Jennifer, do you think you can ride on my cross bar? I will give you a ride home"I know that it isn't the safest place of ride, but I think it will be o.k. just this time. George had a boy's bike, which made it very convenient for Jennifer to ride on.
When Pop Pop saw the two children and especially Jennifer riding on the cross bar, he called out, "What are you two kids doing? Jennifer, you know that you are not to ride on the cross bar."
George stopped his bike and explained to Pop Pop what had happened and without saying another word, Pop Pop went into the house, called Jennifer's mother, told her about the broken arm and to meet him at the emergency room.
Yes, her arm was broken all right. Jennifer had to wear a cast for six months. She wasn't very happy about that. Bedtime that night wasn't very pleasant for either George or Jennifer. Both their parents were quite upset with their disobedient children.
If you were their parents, what punishment do you think they deserved? I hope all Mom Mom's story time friends will always remember how important it is TO ASK TO PERMISSION FIRST BEFORE DECIDING TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T THINK YOU SHOULD.
Chapter 6
 |
| Lady Jane |
Jennifer's grandmother had given her a beautiful china doll for her birthday. She called her "Lady Jane". She was a very beautiful, special and very fragile doll. Her grandmother had made a whole suitcase full of doll clothes just for "Lady Jane" Often she would change her outfits two or three times a day.
 |
| Lady Alice |
Her best friend Maria had a china doll too. Her doll's name was "Lady Alice". Together the two little girls loved to play dolls and sharing their outfits. One afternoon, while they were playing with their special dolls, Anna, the little girl with crippled feet called and asked if they could come over to her house for some homemade ice cream. Before they left, Jennifer's mother warned them, "You better put your dolls in your bedroom Jennifer and close the door before Tucker gets up from his nap." But, the girls were so excited about eating ice cream that they didn't listen to Jennifer's mother's warning, and left the dolls on the couch in the family room.
No sooner had they left when little Tucker was up from his nap, heading down stairs to find his mother. On the way to the kitchen, he noticed the two dolls sitting on the couch. Without thinking Tucker picked up Maria's doll by the neck and starting walking to the kitchen. On the way, in his socking feet, he slipped and fell to the floor. The doll went flying out of his hands and landed on the hard tile floor The head of the china doll was severely cracked. His mother heard the accident and came running out of the kitchen.
"Oh NO! Tucker, what have you done?". She picked up the doll off the floor and rescued Jennifer's doll on the couch. She was not so much upset with Tucker as she was with Jennifer. She didn't listen to her warning to put the dolls in a safe place and now look what happened.
Later in the afternoon, the girls arrived back at Jennifer's to finish their play. When they saw their dolls were missing Jennifer called out to her mother, "Where are our dolls, Mommy"
"Jennifer", responded Mommy, "You don't have to yell, I am right in the kitchen. You can come in here and talk with me. What is the problem?." Of course, Mommy knew what the problem was, but she wanted to hear it from the girls.
"We can't find....our....." Before she could get the words out, Jennifer noticed Maria's "Lady Alice" laying on the counter with her head cracked.
When Maria saw her "Lady Alice's head cracked", she was so upset. She started to cry and ran home to tell her mother. Jennifer was MAD at Tucker. "Now, look what you did! You ruined our play. Can't you leave anything alone?"
"Jennifer" exclaimed her mother, "Didn't I warn you to put her dolls in your room and close the door? Why should you be mad at Tucker."
"But Mommy, does Tucker always have to ruin our fun? I think Maria is going to mad at me and she will never play with me again. Can't you keep Tucker tied up?"
"Young lady,it is NOT Tucker's fault. How many times have I told you to keep your most valuable and breakable toys up high and away from Tucker. I think you should think about how you can earn some money to help Maria buy a new doll."
"But, Mom, it isn't my doll."
"I know, but when your friends are over to your house, you are responsible to do what is right. If you know that your doll should be out of Tucker's reach, don't you think your best friend's doll should be also? It could have been your doll's head that was cracked."
"Gee, Mom there goes all my birthday money," complained Jennifer.
From that day on, Jennifer always remembered to keep her most important things up high and away from 'little fingers'.
I
Chapter one
When George and Jennifer were four years old they were the best of "buddies". Living next door to each, they were able to play together almost every day.
One hot sweltering summer afternoon, George and Jennifer asked if they could turn on the sprinkler and run through it. Jennifer's mother said they could, but only if they put on their bathing suits and left the GARDEN HOSE alone. But, first they had to finish their lunch. The mothers decided to set aside their daily chores in the afternoon and come outside to enjoy the children. But they never expected what was going to happen.
The mothers were busy in conversation having a tea time on Jennifer's front porch, while the children laughed and ran through the sprinkler getting thoroughly soaked.
Since it was a hot afternoon, the mothers never noticed the children carrying the hose around to the back of the house. Tucker, Jennifer's younger brother, was down for his afternoon nap and his bedroom window was opened. George and Jennifer took the garden hose and lifted it up through the bedroom window and turned on the water. What were they thinking?
A scream came out of the house like you have never heard. Poor little Tucker was totally drenched along with all his bedding. The scream alerted the two mothers Jennifer's mother ran into the house, only to find the garden hose pouring water into the baby's crib.
"Turn that water off now," yelled Jennifer's mother. "What do you children think you are doing?"
George and Jennifer quickly dropped the hose and ran into the garage. They knew that they were in big trouble. They hid themselves in the back seat of the car under a blanket. They thought no one would see them there. George's mother saw the children running to the garage and followed them . She looked into the back seat and pulled the blanket off the two little mischiefs.
"George and Jennifer, you come out of there right now? George you go home immediately and Jennifer your mother is looking for you."
The little children were so afraid of what was going to happen when their daddies came home that night.
What do you think happened? If you think they were sent to bed early without a story, you were right. Besides an early bedtime, the children were not able to play together for a whole week.
Who do you think they were pretending to be when they were playing with the hose? You guessed it. FIREMEN. I hope you would never do a thing like that.
